Celebrity deaths 2009: A very bad year

In 2009 celebrity death dominated the headlines. Sure, our celebrated performers always pass as the years go by, but in 2009 celebrity death was everywhere.

If you’re a
celebrity, chances are you can’t wait to ring in the new year — not just because you hope 2010 will bring a marked increase to your investment portfolio, but because stars died by the droves in
2009.

The celebrity deaths started early in the year, when the teenage son of John Travolta, Jett, died in the early morning hours of January 2 after suffering a seizure during a family vacation to the
Bahamas.

The biggest entertainment news story of the year — and possibly the biggest news story overall — was the death of Michael
Jackson. The superstar was found dead in his rented California home after being given a fatal overdose of Propofol by his doctor.

Other pop culture icons breathed their last in 2009, such as Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze, director John Hughes, Ed McMahaon, and most recently Brittany Murphy.

Stars, listen up: the year is not over. You still have another week-plus to keep yourselves alive. Please do us all a favor and do so. 2009 was depressing enough.